Intriguing Possibilities
by DayLightScreamer
Summary: With all of Anakin Skywalker's Jedi powers,he has seen into his future.Determined to change it,he alters the future of the universe.With some old characters,and some new friends,Anakin may even succeed at saving those he loves most.later chapter romance
1. Chapter 1

A/N:Hey everyone! Before we get to the story, i just wanted to clarify some things. First of all, this is my sisters story, i'm just posting it for her. Second of all, this story is in place of the second movie. We didn't like everything that happened throughout the second and third episodes, so we (actually her)changed it a little. Hope you like it. Now, on with the story!

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"Happy life day!" Dane, Sache, and Rabe stood around Eirtae's bed while Sabe, Padme and Yane held the presents. Eirtae's blue eyes struggled open, then a smile darted across her face.

"What did you do? What is this?" she exclaimed.

"Up!" Rabe ordered. "Sit up or you don't get your presents!" As Eirtae complied, the three women lined up to hand over the presents. And there were a lot of them. The handmaidens and Eirtae's family had been planning this surprise party for a while. Keeping anything hidden for long among the group was a feat of tremendous proportions and they enjoyed their victory.

The surprise party lasted an hour and was filled with laughter and smiles, ad a few tears. As a final gift, Dane pulled a plain, oddly-shaped package from behind the chair and handed it to Eirtae. When Eirtae saw what it was, her eyes got very wide and her jaw dropped. The other handmaidens just smiled.

"Where did you get this?" Eirtae gasped.

"I called my parents." Dane said smugly.

"I don't believe it! This must have cost a fortune!"

"So?" Dane asked. They all looked at her. "I'm kidding! No faith in the art of negotiation, that's the problem here."

The bottle was a very expensive and very rare juice from Tynna. It was also very difficult to find. Dane had had her parents working on this for months.

"Eirtae." Padme said," today is you day off. Go anywhere, do anything, but no work. That is a royal command." This pronouncement caused more laughter, then the others left to help Amidala get ready for the day and Eirtae went back to sleep, still smiling.

The day was uneventful, and rather boring. The seven women went to bed exhausted and slept soundly.

Two Weeks Later…

They were young for full knighthood, but they'd achieved it anyway. They'd broken more rules since their knighthood than most Jedi teams in the order, but they were the most effective team in the. They were rather unorthodox and unpredictable. The Council wasn't sure what to do with them.

When the council called them, Anakin Skywalker and Jayden Darklighter knew something was up. Rarely did assignment briefings require all of the council members to be present.

The two young men, both human, stood silently within the circle of Masters.

"Go to Naboo, you must. Protect the Queen you will. Enemies she has." Yoda said, pointing his finger at them like they were still Padawans. The men looked at each other, wondering what the Council was doing.

"It is not the enemy but the target that dictates the response," answered Master Adi Gallia.

"What enemy warrants two Jedi bodyguards?" Jayden Darklighter asked.

"Queen Amidala is an outspoken ruler. She has given critical support to the Jedi and others on several occasions. Many wish her gone." Mace Windu said. Everyone was silent again. Anakin Skywalker was staring straight at Yoda, wanting to know what wasn't being told. Yoda looked calmly back but seemed slightly uncomfortable at the same time. Jayden and Anakin exchanged another apprehensive look.

"Did Queen Amidala request any help?" Anakin questioned.

'No." Windu answered.

"Does she expect us?"

"No." This time it was Master Ki-Adi-Mundi that answered, shifting in his

seat as he spoke.

"It isn't just the Queen that's in danger, is it?" Jayden asked after a moment. The two younger Jedi's insights were starting to make the council nervous.

"The Queen," Adi Gallid said firmly, "is the first of many in a chain. Knock her down before the next in line can be moved and a chain reaction will start that may not be stoppable. This _must not happen_, no matter the cost required to stop it." Her words seemed to catch the two men off guard.

"Who?" Jayden asked. Yoda sighed.

"Unsure, we are. Hard to read, the future is," he said.

"This goes far and wide, through the Republic. If Naboo falls, we may not be able to stop it. You must be there, to save the Queen." Windu said, his dark face troubled.

They nodded slowly. "We'll leave as soon as possible." Anakin said. The two Jedi bowed and turned to leave.

"Darklighter, Skywalker," Even Piell said suddenly, "May the Force be with you." They nodded and left.

"I always wanted to go to Naboo." Jayden commented once they were clear of the council chambers.

"Some vacation." Anakin retorted. "Why didn't they choose Obi-Wan? He's actually faced the Sith. And you know they'll show up sometime."

"Kenobi's on some top-secret mission. You haven't checked your messages, have you?" Jayden asked.

Anakin snorted. "Why would I do that?"

The large doors shut behind the young Jedi. The Council members stared after them, wondering again if their plan could work.

"Can they succeed?" Adi Gallia asked.

"Yes." Windu assured her.

"The galaxies best chance." The words rang in the quiet room, echoing in their minds.

"They will succeed." Depa Billaba said. "They have to."

Several hours later, Anakin and Jayden sat in the cockpit of the small freighter they'd been assigned. Jayden sat in the navigation seat sleeping deeply, his head resting against the cockpit wall. Anakin sat in the pilot seat staring out the view port at the swirling colors of hyperspace.

Despite the beauty of the view, Anakin wasn't really looking at it. In his mind he sat through many of his visions and nightmares from the past few years. Old ghost taunted him, unknowns tormented him. His fears of the future refused to let him sleep.

So he watched the explosion of mathematical physics throwing colors all over the view port and waited for the next part of his path to appear. Waited for his next potentially devastating choice to attack him.

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A/N: Well how was it? Please review! It will really mean a lot to my sis. Oh, and ifthere are horribly misspelled things, please let me know. Thanx for reading. See ya! 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: We hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Also, this part may be a bit confusing, but she tried her best to make it easy to read. I didn't find it very confusing, but if it is, letme know and she'll try to clarify. Anyways, enjoy the chappy! Oh, and to answer "Chris's" question, the first movie is the same, only the second and third are different.**

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The first thing on the schedule was a meeting with Boss Nass, the Gungun leader. Despite the fact that the government had long since been restructured to include the Gungun's they still insisted on theses monthly meetings. Queen Amidala called it symbolic, a way to show the population that good relations still existed.

The Queen and her entourage walked quickly through the palace. Captain Panaka was discussing a new security measure with the Queen and the handmaidens. The goal was a balcony overlooking a waterfall and a garden where the Queen would meet Boss Nass for the first meal and stimulating conversation.

When they rounded the corner into the Audience Chamber Sabe and Rabe, standing on either side of the Queen, saw him first. They stopped slightly aged of the monarch, unsure of what to do. The rest of the handmaidens were positioned behind Amidala. They instinctively spread out into a defensive position and Panaka slipped his hand to his blaster.

No one moved for a heartbeat. The man just stood there with a hood up to conceal his face. To all but Dane, he was an eerie reminder of the Sith Lord who had tried to kill the Queen twelve years earlier and _had_ killed the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Queen Amidala?" the man asked slowly and deliberately.

"Yes?" the Queen answered after a moment. The man smiled, a cold, unpleasant smile the dark hood could not quite hide, and slipped the edges of his cloak behind his shoulders. He glanced at the handmaidens, a look as cold as his smile, and recognized them. His hand slid to his belt, and a moment later a red lightsaber sprang to life in his hands.

"Go!" Panaka yelled, pulling his blaster and firing three shots in about one second. Even before the handmaidens could pull their own blasters the man bounced the blaster bolts back. They heard Panaka yell, but the handmaidens refused to let Amidala slow down. Sache and Yane had a solid grip on the Queen and were flat-out running while the other four slowed down enough to shoot back through the door.

They had made it to the hall before the throne roomwhen he caught up to them. Rabe and Sabe had joined the Queen, forming a human wall between the assassin and his target. Dane and Eirtae turned to the man and met him face-to-face.

"Run!" both women yelled and fired as they moved forward. He easily blocked their shots, sending them back towards the handmaidens. Dancing around the reflected bolts, singed by the near misses, they never flinched from their attack.

Amidala and her group ran for the door. It snapped shut it their faces, the controls sparking and exploding dangerously. Down the hall Dane and Eirtae stopped, surprised and outgunned, as their blasters were torn from their grips as if by magic and set by the man's feet. Eirtae hastily retreated several steps, as did Dane. But, as soon as she was out of his sight she pulled her skirt up to her knees and grabbed a long knife from its sheath strapped on her leg. The man stood there for a moment, hen slowly raised his head to gloat over his victory.

But it was short lived. Trapped and angry the Queen and the four handmaidens opened fire. A blaster bolt burned through his hood knocked it back revealing a human face that was twisted into a mask of hate and anger and his eyes seemed to shine with malicious enjoyment.

As the blaster fire increased he deflected it away easily. While he focused on the incoming fore, Dane slid in on his left, knife in hand.

As the blade darted forward he spun, sensing the danger and, while still deflecting the blaster fire, realized it was too late. As her knife slid smoothly into his wrist, he roared in anger, knocked the knife from her hand and away from his wrist, and used the business end of his lightsaber to clip her hard in the chin.

Dane was out, crashing to the floor in a daze, but she had managed to distract the man just enough. He missed a shot and cursed as it hit his bicep. Then Eirtae attacked, kicking the lightsaber from his hand. She spun and snapped a kick at his head. The blocked it and slapped her return punch away. Glaring at her, he slammed the heel of his hand into her cheat. She stumbled back trying to catch her breath. As she fell to her knees, he smiled.

The Queen and the handmaidens opened fire again the moment Eirtae was clear of the field of fore. He spared them a minute of his attraction. Using the Force he slammed them into the wall behind them.

He took a few steps toward Eirtae, who was still on her knees gasping harshly. He held out his hand, letting the lightsaber slap solidly into his palm flicked it on. With a sharp "snap-hiss", the blade began to hum gently. Eirtae's head jerked up when she heard the blade turn on. When he laid the blade next to her face she raised her eyes to meet his, anger meeting anger.

"Eirtae!" Rabe screamed. She was still on the ground by the wall, and she couldn't find her blaster. The man blinked and glanced over at the woman, them turned back to Eirtae and

Rabe's yell brought Dane back to her sensed. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was the numerous burn marks on the pure white walls. Slowly, she pulled her view to the man in black. She woke up quickly when she saw the lightsaber raised in the air. Dane felt around frantically and was relieved to touch the cold metal of a blaster. Fumbling, she got a grip and brought it into line.

He laughed as Rabe screamed again and Sabe tried to get to her blaster. When he looked down at Eirtae with every intention of finishing it, Dane pulled the trigger. Eirtae turned and rolled away as he fell to one knee, his calf now sporting a crisp blaster hole.

He barely had time to do more than growl furiously at her before his gaze jumped to the door he had sealed. A rectangular outline started to glow, starting at approximately head height. A loud bong echoed through the room as the metal fell. Two men with lightsabers stood in the opening, surveying the scene.

"Jedi!" the man hissed, jumping to his feet. The two men adjusted their grips and walked out to meet the man.

"Making quite a mess here, aren't we?" the Jedi with the purple lightsaber said. The man in black snarled and attacked.

Cut, jump, block, slice and move. The three men moved so fast the blurred red, blue and purple, weaving intricate patterns in the air. Amidala, sitting up against the wall, stared in shock. Where in the galaxy had they come from? They weren't dressed like Jedi but they sure fought like them.

Dane laid on the floor, a burn on her chin that she barely noticed. Whoever these men were she had a suspicion that they had just saved her life along with Eirtae's. Her blaster lay forgotten in her hand, her knife with blood still on it lying next to her. She used the time the fight had brought her to pull herself together.

Desperate now that he was facing two Jedi, the man took a chance. He jumped backwards, hitting the Jedi with the blue saber solidly body-to-body. It was enough to get the Jedi off his guard. He fell, hit his head and rolled across the floor. The Jedi still standing stumbled back as the man attacked with full force. With just one immediate threat, a grin spread across his face.

Amidala stared in dismay as the one man flew backwards and the other man retreated. She knew she should run now that the door was open but she couldn't make herself leave the handmaidens behind. Besides, she was so sore she wasn't sure she'd make it far enough.

Watching the fight she saw Dane pull herself up to a sitting position and breathed a sigh of relief. Dane had even managed to hand on to her weapons, somehow.

The man also noticed Dane's recovery and took vicious pleasure at pulling the pillar from the wall beside her. It teetered for a moment, then jell towards her. The Jedi still standing was very aware of the young woman about to be crushed he used a neat twist with his lightsaber to disengage from the fight and flipped backwards. This gained him enough time to reach out with the Force and help pull the woman out of harm's way. She had already twisted and used her hands and the floor to push away from the falling stone. With the Jedi's help she cleared it. Then the man was back on the Jedi, with the other Jedi on his feet and following.

Dane curled into a ball as the stone hit and shattered tile sprayed out, pelting her. An explosion from under the pile of marble rolled her to the center of the room.

Woozy, she turned her head to see the Jedi and the man start in her direction, still locked in combat. She tried to get to her feet and run, but her escaping was apparently not in the man's plan. One minute Dane's feet are firmly on the floor, the next she's going through the window. The impact knocked her breathless, but the slice of glass still dragged a high-pitched scream from her.

"Anakin!" one of the Jedi yelled. He attacked the man in a flurry of moves, giving Anakin a moment. He gave his attention over to the girl and grabbed her. He dropped her as gently as he could on the floor.

Then the man slipped around the dark haired Jedi, driving him back. As Anakin tried to catch up and help his companion, a chunk of stone from the fallen pillar rose above the ruble. It shot across the room, clipping Eirtae as it went, then it slammed into Anakin's stomach. Barely seconds later more stones raced over to pelt the Jedi.

The man had the Jedi almost pressed against the wall. Their lightsabers carved deep grooves into the wall as they fought. The Jedi yelled his friends name again, and Anakin tried to free himself but more stones attacked creating a veritable hurricane of rock around him.

Gleefully, the man knocked the Jedi's lightsaber out of his hands and sent it spinning towards the fallen pillar. The man turned off his own lightsaber and bashed the Jedi in the head, again and again, until the man was down on the ground, bleeding. The Jedi moaned after the last blow.

The man, being who he was, couldn't help but gloat for a second. And in that second of pride, of distraction, he failed to notice Dane as she, bloody, bruised, and pissed as hell, scooped up her knife and the unlit lightsaber. The man kicked the young Jedi viscously, dragging a groan out of him, and didn't hear Dane run towards him.

The Jedi saw her, however, and tried to look balefully as he could at the man, trying to keep him distracted.

But even a man engrossed in the suffering of another man will hear when a lightsaber hit the ground mere feet form himself. He spun, knowing it was to late to stop her, and took her attack full frontal.

Her weight and speed propelled them back, away from the hurt Jedi, and the man's lightsaber. They hit the floor rolling and struggling for control of the knife. She got the knife within an inch of the man's neck. Then he rolled, grabbed her wrist, and pinned _her_ with the knife to _her_ throat.

"You little bitch," he whispered. She glared back at him, struggling against him.

She looked behind him and saw the dark-haired Jedi scrambling after them. He waved his hand and the knife flew from her neck to become embedded in the wall. The man snarled, sensing the Jedi's approach. The girl's attack had distracted him enough to stop the hailstorm of stones attacking the other Jedi, and he was running from the other direction straight at them. The man hit her in the temple with his fist, knocking her absolutely out, then he rolled to his feet. He called his lightsaber to him--but Anakin grabbed it with the Force and stopped it mid-flight, still several meters from the man. The two Jedi stood his left and right, forming a rough triangle with the lightsaber hovering in the middle.

The man looked at them and sneered. "Skywalker. I should have known. You've become the council's favorite pet nerf."

The two Jedi exchanged bewildered looks.

"Do we know you?" the Jedi with the purple lightsaber asked.

"Ah," the man smiled." Jayden Darklighter. The nerf's nerf. How nice to see you again." The three men stared at each other for a long minute, then a light appeared in Jayden Darklighter's eyes.

"Kado Daten, from the temple." He said, shocked.

"What happened to you?" Anakin asked.

"Sorry," Daten grinned," that would be telling." Before either could say anything Daten attacked. He somehow pulled his lightsaber from Anakin's grasp, no small feat, twisted through the Jedi's hasty blows and ran to the window, limping slightly. Then he was gone.

"Hell of the Sith."

"Panaka!" Amidala yelled, relief in her voice. Panaka stood in the doorway opposite the Queen. He was bleeding from his forehead and limping, but amazingly in one piece.

"Call security!" Jayden yelled to Panaka. "Try to keep people out of his way."

Anakin ran to the Queen, assessing the physical damage to her and handmaidens. He found the Queen and two of her handmaidens were in decent shape, nothing more than numerous bruises and pulled muscles. One had a broken arm but she was awake and lucid, and the other was in shock with a concussion.

While Anakin was helping them up Jayden knelt down beside the women that had just saved his life. She didn't look too good, but her pulse was strong and he knew she was determined. He glanced at the shattered window and winced. Very strong.

"Dane." Jayden looked up to see one of the handmaidens walking towards them. Her dark hair had come loose and spilled out of her hood. She looked kind of out of it.

"Is she alright?" she asked.

"She'll be fine." he assured her. "Why don't you come sit next to her?" He gently set her down next to the women, Dane, and told her to wait for the medical team. As soon as she nodded he ran to the blonde woman slumped against the wall. Behind him he could hear Panaka firing orders into his comlink.

"How is she?" Anakin came up behind him. Absently he swiped blood from his lip.

"She's unconscious, Anakin. How do you think she's doing?" Jayden pointed out.

"Probably feels like hell."

"Probably"

"Okay." Both men stood and turned. Panaka stood behind them, looking like he didn't know what to think about them.

"Who are you and why are you here?"

Jayden nodded a salute. "Jedi Jayden Darklighter. The Jedi Council sent us to protect the Queen."

Anakin smiled at the older man. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asked. Panaka shook his head.

"Should I?" he replied. Jayden had to smile.

"Does the name Anakin Skywalker mean anything to you?" Jayden hinted.

The older man stared. "Anakin Skywalker? Are you serious?"

Anakin looked uncomfortable. "Yes. That's right." Panaka held out his hand.

"Welcome back to Naboo," he said.

"Thank you."

The medics arrived, several clearly stunned at the destruction. With the serenity deluging the area Panaka quickly set about organizing it and setting up search parties for Daten.

"Anakin Skywalker." At her voice both men spun away from the window. There stood the Queen, regal looking despite her ordeal. Flanking her were the fully functioning handmaidens, safely ensconced behind their hoods.

"Yes, your Highness." Anakin answered.

"It would seem that I am once again in your debt." She said.

"I'm not keeping score, Your Highness." He said politely. She smiled, and Jayden laughed.

"Would you introducing your companion?" she asked, ignoring the laugh

"Your Highness, this is Jedi Jayden Darklighter. Jayden, Queen Amidala."

"Your Highness." Jayden replied, bowing.

"I wish to thank you both for your help. Without you I, and my bodyguards would certainly be dead." The Queen said.

Anakin smiled. "You and your bodyguards were doing pretty well when we arrived. You may be underestimating yourself." He returned. The Queen's mouth compressed into a thin line and she inclined her head.

"The man was about to behead Eirtae when you arrived." One of the handmaidens spoke up, "and would certainly have killed Dane next."

"Behead her." Jayden repeated.

"Yes." The Queen said shortly. "Dane shot him to stop him."

Neither man knew what to say. It was obvious that the Queen was very fond of her bodyguards, and they of her. They could only imagine what this attack was doing to the woman.

"Would you tell me," the Queen continued, "how it is that you were here are just the right time?"

"The Jedi council was concerned for you safety. If we had known how close he was or what he wanted, we would have notified you immediately, your Highness." Jayden assured her.

The Queen smiled grimly. "Thank you." Then she walked away.

As soon as she was out of earshot they relaxed.

"We cut it really close, Jayden." Anakin said. He never took his eyes off Amidala, who was trying to wave away the medics.

"Yeah, I know." Jayden sighed, and then frowned. "Anakin, do you remember Daten?"

Anakin nodded. He seemed lost in thought. "He was a nice kid. On the average side of skill."

"That wasn't average combat skill." Jayden pointed out.

"His winning a match at the temple was usual. He shouldn't have come close to beating us."

"Whom was he apprenticed to?"

Anakin looked at him. "He wasn't. He washed out." He said.

Amidala, to the frustration of Panaka and the Jedi, insisted on continuing with her schedule. And she insisted on only one Jedi staying with her, asking that the other help Panaka search for Daten. She also refused to be checked by a medical droid or to take any painkillers. The only thing she did agree to was to place a guard on her two unconscious handmaidens.

By unspoken agreement Anakin stayed with the Queen while Jayden at the Queen's request, escorted Dane and Eirtae to the hospital wing and to their guards. Yane soon followed to get treatment for a concussion, and stayed with her friends.

Amidala and her remaining handmaidens left to prepare for the meeting with the Gungun ambassador, the Jedi in tow.

The result of the attack seemed to many to be out of proportion to the duration of the attack. There was extensive damage to the wall, ceiling and floor of the hall, not to mention they needed a new pillar. On the living side, Yane and Eirtae had concussions, Panaka had a slight head wound, Sache's left arm was broken, both Jedi had numerous cuts and bruises, but Dane beat them all. She had numerous cuts, some of the rather deep, from getting thrown through the window, scrapes and bruises from the fallen pillar, a burn on her chin, a nasty knock to her head, and a fractured jaw.

And Daten was still out there.

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**A/N:Please review and let us know how it was! She's already on chapter two so it shouldn't be long. Until then, l8r!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters not seen in the books or the movies. Don't make me name all that I don't own, I'll cry.**

**A/N: (sister) I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to update. Several things went wrong, not to mention my classes have been drowning me. You can thank my sister, the one and onlyraging-mongoose, that anything on this story has been done. So my apologies to anyone who waited and I hope you like it. And I warn you, this is rather long. Enjoy.**

**raging-mongoose- BEWARE THE LONGNESS!**

**(sister) glares for a long time She's making fun of me!**

**raging-mongoose- ...duh, on with the sho- story...i meant story...**

**(sorry but the page breaks weren't working so they're not here, sorry if it's confusing)**

The next afternoon Dane was the only handmaiden still in the medics care. Eirtae had been sent to her room to rest and Yane's minor concussion had all but disappeared with treatment. Even the Jedi were healed, a combination of Jedi healing skills and lots of bacta patches.

Amidala was with her three remaining handmaidens and Anakin again, sitting patiently through the mundane government proceedings.

As far as they could tell Daten had disappeared completely despite the massive manhunt Panaka had organized. In the meantime, they were maintaining a heightened security level planet wide. Amidala fully agreed with the extra protection measures for her people. None of them would have a chance against him. But the extra guards and other precautionary measures around her irritated her to no end. How would she run an efficient government with all this extra protocol around her?

Panaka pointed out that she couldn't run any government if she was dead and overruled her, much to the Jedi's relief.

Jayden had stopped by the hospital wing to check on Dane and Yane. To his amazement he found both handmaidens asleep. The doctor had said that Dane should wake up in the next few hours so he decided to stay and wait. He figured the faster the Queen heard her handmaiden was awake the faster she'd relax.

After about forty-five minutes, Jayden felt the tug of consciousness pulling at Dane. Standing up from the computer terminal he walked to where Yane slept. Bending slightly, he spoke to her softly. She jerked, looked at him for a second, and smoothly got her to her feet. As she moved next to the bed, Dane stirred.

"Hey," Yane said soothingly. "Signs of life." Dane's eyes slowly opened, revealing cloudy amber eyes. She stared at the ceiling for a few moments, blinking, then meandered her gaze toward Yane.

Dane felt awareness spread slowly. First feeling returned to her body, then her hearing kicked in and she heard someone speak. She couldn't make sense of the words immediately but figured she would eventually. Finally, she got her eyes open, and saw light and white. Dane had just realized that she was looking at a hospital ceiling when what had been said finally made sense.

Slowly, trying not to jar anything, she turned her head. A fuzzy image of a handmaiden came into view. She squinted and the women became clear enough to identify as Yane. Opening her mouth to speak, a spike of pain caused her words to turn into a groan, and she shut her eyes.

A sigh of relief from Yane made Dane want to laugh. She must look pretty bad to make a groan something to be relieved about.

"Dane, are you still awake?" Yane asked

"Uh huh." The phrase slid out of her mouth without too much pain.

"You scared us," Yane whispered.

"Yeah?" Dane said, a smile starting to grow.

Yane huffed. "Dane, you got thrown out the window, got hit by a pillar, and wound up in a wrestling match with a Sith wannabe. You could have been killed."

"Is Amidala okay?" Dane asked carefully. Yane softened,

"She's fine. Sore, mad as all hells, but fine," she said.

"How are the handmaidens? Are we in seven pieces?"

"Eirtae is sleeping off a concussion, Sache has a broken left arm, Sabe, Rabe and Amidala got off with bruises and pulled muscles, I had a concussion, and you had a fractured jaw, deep cuts, lots of bruises, a burn on your chin and a serious knot on your head from where he hit you."

Dane was quiet for a moment.

"He hit me?" she finally asked.

"Yeah," Yane smiled. "I think you annoyed him."

"Good, because he pissed me off." Dane closed her eyes, fighting the sedatives.

"Dane," Yane said quickly before Dane could slip away, "stay awake. There's someone here you need to speak to."

"Can't I have a nap first?"

"Queen Amidala is quite worried about you," Jayden said. That got her attention; her eyes flew open.

"Don't push that button," she warned him. Despite her obvious weakness he fully believed she could and would back up her threat. Even Yane was glaring at him. "You're one of the Jedi from the fight." Her eyes narrowed, studying him.

He nodded. "My name is Jayden Darklighter, and I believe you saved my life in that fight."

"You Jedi saved us so we're even."

Jayden smiled. Interesting math.

"No offense, but why _were_ the Jedi there?" she asked slowly, puzzled.

"The Jedi Council sent us," he said quickly. She raised an eyebrow and Yane looked ready to grill him, but he changed the subject on them.

"Dane, I need to know what you remember," he said.

"Remember what?"

"What you remember of the fight."

"Oh," she paused, thinking. "That guy pulled his lightsaber. Panaka started shooting, but he didn't hit him. Sache and Yane pulled Amidala back around the corner and Rabe, Eirtae, Sabe and I retreated, laying cover, for as best we could." Suddenly she turned to Yane. "What happened to Captain Panaka?"

"He's fine. Daten barely gave him a second glance."

"Who's Daten?"

"The guy in black."

Dane nodded. "Okay. Daten caught up with us in the hall outside of the throne room. Rabe and Sabe had caught up with the Queen. Eirtae and I were closest to him, so," she shrugged, wincing just barely, "we attacked. The others were supposed to escape but they didn't. Daten bounced our shots back at us with his lightsaber but his missed us. We dropped out blasters and Eirtae retreated because she was unarmed and he looked like he enjoyed cutting people to bits."

Yane had to grin at Dane's description, even though she agreed with it.

"You weren't unarmed?" Jayden asked.

She shook her head, and then obviously regretted it. "Ow. No. I had the knife my dad gave me strapped to my leg. I retreated out of his line of vision and pulled it out. That's when the others opened fire on him. I don't think he was expecting it.

"He didn't notice me soon enough. The blade cut his wrist. He was mad. Something hit me and everything kind of went dark and fuzzy. I heard some yelling, and I think something hit the wall."

"That," Yane interjected, "was the rest of us."

"Someone screamed. I think it was Rabe. She was screaming Eirtae name. I could tell something was wrong. I found a gun and shot him, or I tried to. Then you two showed up. You started fighting, which was a little bit disconcerting. I found my knife and the blaster. Then the pillar fell. After that I went through the window. I remember rocks flying around. Your lightsaber landed by my knife. I grabbed both, tossed the lightsaber to you and tackled him." She frowned. "That's all I really remember."

"Okay." Jayden said. "Excuse me." And with that he left the room. The two women blinked and stared.

"Did he ever explain why the Jedi Council sent them?" Yane asked.

Anakin stood off to one side of Amidala's office, bored half to death. The huge, ornate room had long ago lost his interest. And as far as he could see, all the Queen did was read papers, sign or veto them, and talk with slick, fawning politicians. It impressed him how Amidala went through this process over and over without showing any frustration or weariness and how the handmaidens simply sat there, silent as ever, waiting for an order from the Queen. How they could do this day after day was beyond him. He smothered another yawn.

When his comlink beeped he was more than grateful for the distraction.

"Skywalker," he answered. He watched one of the handmaidens turn her head and eavesdrop on him.

"Anakin, it's Jayden. The handmaiden woke up."

Anakin almost sighed in relief, but he knew how well it would echo. "How's her memory?" he asked.

"Intact. All she's missing is Eirtae's attack on Daten. Lot's of it's rather fuzzy but she's in really good condition."

"Great. I'll inform the Queen. We'll be a while, though. We _are_ dealing with politicians."

"Understood. And Anakin?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fall asleep. You snore."

"Funny, real funny."

"Darklighter out."

"Skywalker out." Anakin turned and walked back to his spot by the wall. He'd been standing there all day. His only amusement was when the Queen's appointments realized that a Jedi was in the room with them. The switch for ultra-good manners seemed to flip in their brains. Many were nervous or resentful that the Queen would let him stay in the room but they wisely said nothing.

As he stood there, wondering how to politely interrupt the politics, he noticed one of the handmaidens was carefully keeping him in sight. He had to smile slightly at the woman. Rabe, he thought, realized she'd been caught and blushed. Anakin nodded at Amidala present audience and tapped his comlink, hopping she would understand. Rabe inclined her head just a few degrees in response, and then had to choke down a smile when he winked at her.

Twenty minutes later the Queen's meeting was over and the officials finally left, looking at Anakin one last, furtive time. The Queen sighed in relief as the door shut. She tilted her head from side to side before she turned to Anakin.

"Well?" she said, surprising him. There must be a communication device hidden in the desk, he thought.

"Your handmaiden is awake, your Highness," he told her.

"How is she?" she kept her voice calm and even despite the staggering relief she felt.

"She's talking and she seems to remember fine. She's probably just very sore."

Amidala nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to her desk. Anakin resumed his post by the wall and watched quietly.

"Sabe," the Queen called as she opened a drawer. Sabe stood and moved to the Queen's side.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"Do you have any idea where the schedule went?"

"No, Your Highness. You put it away." Sabe answered, refusing to smile at her bosses expense.

"Help me look, would you? This desk is big enough for _me_ to hide in." Sabe looked at the huge desk for a moment in agreement with the Queen before she glanced at Rabe for help.

As the three women went through the drawers the last handmaiden caught the Jedi's eye. Sache slipped her right hand under her cast and exchanged a disk in her data pad. Anakin looked carefully and thought he saw a comlink earpiece in her left ear. Sache noticed his attention and grinned impishly at him

Anakin shook his head. He should have thought of that.

"Here it is, Your Highness." Rabe said suddenly, holding up the data card.

Amidala looked at her handmaiden. "How did it get down there?"

Rabe shrugged, and like Sabe swallowed a grin. Amidala popped the data card into her computer on the desk, then frowned as she studied the contents.

"Sabe, would you please ask Director Losk and the Governor's aide if we can reschedule?" The woman nodded and walked smoothly out the door.

During the next few minutes while they waited Amidala ignored everyone and read some financial reports. Rabe and Sache were sitting silently behind their Queen. They never moved or made a noise, making Anakin wonder again how they did this day after day.

The four empty chairs around the two handmaidens seemed to emphasize how small they were when compared to the furniture. Anakin could sense how uncomfortable they were without Eirtae, Dane, and Yane nearby.

He could fully understand.

Everyone looked up as Sabe hurried in, her hands full of data cards and her faced flushed. Amidala raised an eyebrow as Sabe stopped in front of her.

"Did you reschedule?" she asked.

"Yes, Your Highness." Sabe answered. The Queen sat back in her chair as Sabe blushed again.

"Is this my reading material for the night?" Amidala prompted.

"Yes, Your Highness," Sabe repeated, a small grin on her face. "Director Losk said to let her know if you wish to go over the information with her."

"And the Governor's aid?" Amidala asked, sorting through the cards.

"He'll be back tomorrow to present the Governor's proposal in more detail." She flushed a darker red as she spoke. Rabe and Sache exchanged amused glances that Amidala apparently didn't notice.

"Thank you, Sabe."

A moment later the Queen stood and walked somewhat stiffly to the door. Her handmaidens rose and assembled in a perfectly choreographed move, with the Jedi slipping in next to the Queen.

During their walk to the hospital wing of the palace the group become aware of the whispers and stares Anakin's presence at the Queen's side caused. Rumors had spread about a Jedi guarding the monarch, but no one had expected such a young Jedi. Handsome too. Anakin's icy blue eyes, sandy hair, and tall, lean build drew a lot of attention from onlookers.

"You seem to be attracting some admirer," the Queen teased, watching the Jedi out of the corner of her eye.

"Just be glad Jayden isn't here, too. Their eyes might pop out of their sockets," Anakin was amused to see a smile under her white face paint.

"I heard you and Jedi Kenobi were going to come to Naboo a few years ago when Naboo hosted the Intergalactic Conference," she said casually. He nodded.

"The plan was changed. I assume you were pleased with the Jedi sent in our place?"

Amidala mentally shook her head, unable to stop smiling. "Yes, I was. They were very effective, as expected from a Jedi. Why were the plans changed?"

"We were needed elsewhere," Anakin said, keeping his voice neutral and calm.

"That's vague."

"It was supposed to be."

"Are you evading the question?" Amidala asked, curious.

"Yes," he answered calmly.

One of the handmaidens snickered. He looked back at her and she withdrew back farther into her hood. The group fell silent for a few halls.

"Where did you meet Jedi Darklighter?" the Queen asked carefully. Anakin looked at her for a second.

"At the Temple before he was apprenticed," he answered finally.

"You've known each other a long time, then."

"We've been friends for several years, yes. He's a good man, if a little annoying at times." Anakin caught a strange flash of emotion from Amidala and glanced over at her. "What is it?" he asked.

She looked at him, a smile on her face. "I was just wondering how he's getting along with Dane and Yane," she said simply. For a few more steps they were silent. Finally, the Queen looked back over at him.

"I never asked. Do you mind if we call you Anakin, or would you prefer a more formal title?" He refused to look at her as he answered.

"Whichever you prefer, Your Highness. Titles are not very important to Jedi," he said evenly. She smiled at him, refraining from laughing at him.

"Names and titles are very important here on Naboo," she informed him, still smiling even though he wasn't looking at her. "I have a question, Anakin," Amidala said after a moment, deciding to see how far she could push it.

Anakin nodded. "Go ahead." The Queen frowned at his empty, bland tone, but otherwise she chose to ignore it.

"Is there a reason both you and Jedi Darklighter haven't been wearing traditional Jedi robes?" After the question Anakin was so silent she wondered if he was going to answer her.

Anakin thought about it, wondering how much detail and information he wanted to give her. Finally he settled on the simpler answer.

"If I hide the lightsaber, no one would recognize me as a Jedi," he said carefully.

Amidala waited, but that was apparently all that he was going to say. "And?" she prompted, slightly impatiently.

"And?" he repeated, finally looking at her. "_And_," he continued, emphasizing the word, "you are extremely nosy." The handmaidens nearly stopped in their tracks as they stared dumbfounded at the Jedi. Amidala merely laughed, never missing a step.

"You didn't answer me," she pointed out cheerfully, ignoring Anakin's surprise.

"I like them," he said, caving. "Besides, Master Kenobi almost didn't recognize me in them. They make it easier to blend in, to go unnoticed."

The Queen fell silent, obviously considering the answer to see if she wanted to be satisfied or not.

"So while we're on the subject," Anakin said to head her off and distract her, "why do you wear the elaborate outfits all the time?"

"Do you not like them?" she asked innocently.

"That's not the issue. _You_ don't like them, Your Highness, and you know it. They must weigh as much as you do."

"True. But they are a tradition for Nubian leaders, especially for the Queen. My people expect them. They're part of the job. And eventually you get used to them."

At that moment they arrived at the medical wing and Amidala pulled back into full Queen mode. She nodded regally to him as he opened the door for her. She had no idea how relieved he was to end the conversation.

Dane and Yane looked up as the door opened. They both grinned as they saw the Queen enter. One by one the handmaidens filed into the room, all smiling at Dane's relieved expression. They knew how much she hated being in the hospital.

"Dane, how are you doing?" Amidala asked as soon as Rabe shut the door behind her. Dane looked at her, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"Fine, Your Highness," she said, her demure handmaiden voice contrasting with her mischievous expression.

Amidala gave her a sheepish look and walked over to the bed to hug her friend. "Good," she said, visibly relaxing and dropping the 'Queen' voice. "I was worried."

"That's sweet, Padme, but you shouldn't. You'll get wrinkles," Dane said straight-faced. They all laughed.

"What happened to Jedi Darklighter?" Padme asked as Sabe stepped up to get her hug in. Dane blushed, tried to hide it against Sabe's shoulder, and didn't answer. Padme arched an eyebrow at her before turning to Yane for an explanation.

Yane fought back a grin. "Jedi Darklighter and Dane had a difference of opinion and he found it prudent to find something important to do elsewhere," she said.

"Difference of opinion?" Sache asked as she came forward for her hug.

"Yeah," Dane said, grimacing.

"That's not very explicit," Sache commented. Dane glared at her.

"Clarify, Dane," Rabe ordered calmly, trying not to laugh at her friends' expense.

Dane looked around the room at everyone before giving in. "He thought he was so very charming," she said, trying not to let her disdain leak into her voice. "I disagreed with him. He _elected_ to go hide."

For a second the room was quiet, then the handmaidens burst out laughing. They couldn't help it when confronted with Dane's expression. Half defiant, half sheepish despite her best efforts to appear serene; even she couldn't help laughing after a moment. Padme just shook her head, not really surprised.

Anakin could barely hear the laughter from the women in the other room. He certainly couldn't make out their words without using some Jedi enhancement trick, and he wouldn't eavesdrop on them like that. Besides, he didn't need any tricks to know how happy they were to see Dane awake and healthy. Their joy and amusement rang out through the Force clearly, making him smile.

That smile did not disappear as Jayden approached. If anything, it grew. Anakin look at his friend as he sat in the adjoining chair.

"What happened?" Anakin asked. Jayden glanced over, grimacing very slightly.

"We had a small difference of opinion," he said, clearly not interested in discussing it.

"What kind of difference?" There was no way Anakin was going to let Jayden off that easily.

"On proper etiquette," Jayden said, sounding both baffled and disgusted.

"Jayden, Jayden, Jayden. What did she say?"

"Nothing. Forget it." Jayden backed up his words with a glare, neither of which fazed his old friend.

"Do I have to ask them?" Anakin asked, nodding to the door. Jayden stared at him, the gaze losing its heat, before he sighed.

"She said," he answered, leaning back and closing his eyes wearily, "that if I was going to try and manipulate someone by pushing their buttons I should learn to be subtle about it." He may have edited her words a little but there was no reason for Anakin to know that.

"Jayden, Jayden, Jayden," Anakin said in a fatherly tone, causing Jayden to glare at him on principle, "a little humility is good for you." Then he stood up. Jayden didn't move.

"This is only funny because it didn't happen to you," he accused.

Anakin shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "It never will, either."

"What about Recee?" Jayden countered.

"A fluke," Anakin said firmly, not flinching. "Not relevant to this conversation.

Jayden snorted but stood. "Fine, whatever. Let's go."

The knock on the door caught them all by surprise. Padme was slumped in a chair, letting Yane rub her sore neck. Dane was sitting up, after a very careful effort, and she quickly pulled her bare legs up under her long nightshirt. Rabe did a quick one over of everyone before reaching for the door, ensuring everyone was back in character again.

No one said anything as the door opened to admit the Jedi. Both groups in the room were too busy sizing the other up to speak. Then Anakin glanced back at Rabe, who was still holding the door open, waiting for her to seal it before he spoke. She refused to take the hint. She didn't take orders from him anyway.

"Would you please shut the door?" he ordered firmly. Rabe looked past him to Amidala. The Queen nodded fractionally at her, and the door shut.

The quiet click of the door seemed to echo in the room. As the silence stretched from moments to seconds and threatened to go into minutes, Jayden took the opportunity to study the Queen's entourage without their hoods up. Very quickly he did a double take, caught off guard. Anakin was waiting for it, since he'd seen them all before, and he mentally smirked at his friends' expense.

Jayden felt like glaring at him again. When Anakin took his attention off the Queen and looked around even he was a little unsettled by how similar all the women were. All of the handmaidens had long dark hair, the same skin tone, and the same unreadable eyes.

"Are you all related?" Jayden asked mildly. They looked at each other blankly, wondering where the question had come from. Then Dane understood, and couldn't help a quick grin.

"Are you referring to how much we look alike?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Both the Jedi nodded.

"Do you remember the decoy trick?" Queen Amidala asked. At the question Anakin's eyes narrowed just barely.

"You've used that trick, Your Highness. It's common knowledge," he warned. Jayden looked between the two of them, unaware of what had both of their backs up and wincing inwardly at Anakin's tone.

"I know that," the Queen said in a calm, exquisitely measured tone. "When my handmaidens were first selected the decoy security measure was a requirement. That's why my handmaidens look alike."

"Except Eirtae," Sache added, falling silent quickly under Sabe's instructive glance. An uncomfortable and tension-filled silence sprang up again.

Jayden cleared his throat loudly, ending the stare-off between Anakin and the Queen. Everyone in the room was very aware that a line seemed to divide the room, Jedi on one side and Nubian on the other.

"Your Highness," Jayden started, and felt ice enter his bloodstream as the Queen's cold gaze turned to him. "The Jedi Council sent us here to help you. We cannot protect you without your cooperation." He hoped she hadn't noticed the deep breath he'd taken before speaking again. She wasn't going to like what he had to say. "Daten will almost certainly try again. Without your help, he may win." Jayden hated saying this. "And he will not be inclined to leave any survivors. Not after what just happened." Involuntarily the Queen swept her gaze over her handmaidens protectively.

"Why Naboo?" she demanded. "Why here again?" To the surprise of her audience her frustration was leaking into her voice, showing just how upset she was over this.

"We don't know," Anakin said quietly. The Jedi glanced at each other, wondering who should do the explaining.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" she snapped, catching both men off guard. Even her handmaidens looked surprised at the Queen.

Anakin spoke slowly, wary of tripping Amidala's temper. "The Jedi Council sent us, Your Highness. Our job is to keep you safe until they can find and stop the people behind this."

"But why Naboo?" she asked again. They _had_ to know more, she was sure of it. When they didn't answer immediately she got mad.

"What are you not telling me?" she demanded. They held out another moment, clearly at a loss for the right words.

"It isn't Naboo, Your Highness." Jayden reluctantly said. "He was looking for you. If you were to die now, you couldn't oppose them later."

"Them?" she asked, her voice noticeably different. They'd shaken her.

"The Sith," Anakin told her. "That man that attacked you was here for you. You are fortunate that you have such devoted bodyguards." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "When you came back to Naboo and drove the Trade Federation out, you showed the whole galaxy what kind of ruler you are. Nothing in the last decade has changed that. The Sith see you as an obstacle to the completion of their plans, and want you out of the way. They need you out of the way."

The Queen sat down abruptly. Sabe then took control, waving the others off as she knelt beside her long time friend. After a few moments of silence the Jedi bowed to the Queen and left her to the care of her handmaidens.

The second the door was shut the women jumped to the Queen. Sabe asked for a glass of water and made Padme drink all of it.

"Better?" she asked. Padme nodded.

"Yeah. You'd think I'd be used to people hating me," she quipped weakly. They didn't laugh.

"Sache, go get Eirtae," Sabe ordered.

"No!" Padme protested. Sache didn't even notice as she slipped out the door. "No, she needs her rest."

"She needs to be here," Rabe contradicted gently.

"She belongs here," Sabe added. Padme gave up and slumped in her seat. The handmaidens looked at each other, debating what to say.

"That went well," Jayden said as the door shut behind them. "We scared her."

"Actually, you scared her," Anakin corrected. He immediately held his hands out as a defense against Jayden's ire. "Hey, don't get mad. You _were_ the one that said he'd kill all of them if he could."

Jayden relented. "One of us had to say it." He sighed silently and rubbed his eyes.

"What are we going to do if she won't cooperate?" Jayden asked after a moment. Anakin shrugged.

"Work around her, somehow," he said calmly. "I doubt we'll have to, though. She'll do anything to protect her people. And those handmaidens are more valuable to her than her own life. She'll let us stay to protect them if nothing else."

"She'd probably feel better if the handmaidens left."

"She might. Unless Daten decides to take them out away from us. They really pissed him off." Anakin pointed out.

Jayden agreed. "They did exceptional work."

The men had been surprised to see one of the women exit the room so soon. They stood to meet her but she ignored them and walked away, pulling her hood up.

When, a few minutes later, the woman returned with another handmaiden in tow they simply watched. Neither woman said a word and they quickly disappeared behind the door.

"Who wasn't in the room?" Jayden asked.

"Padme?" Eirtae said as soon as she shut the door. She'd rarely seen the Queen look defeated in all of the time she'd known her.

"Eirtae, sit down," Padme said. Since the monarch was in the only chair in the room Eirtae sat on the bed next to Dane and Yane.

"What's going on?" Eirtae asked, looking worried. As Padme filled her in Eirtae's eyes got wide. She said nothing, however, until Padme had finished.

"What do we do?" she asked. "Do the Jedi have a plan?"

When Padme didn't answer immediately, seeming lost in thought, Dane spoke up. "They seem to have a plan but they haven't shared it with us. All they said was that they needed the Queen's cooperation," she whispered.

"I could leave Naboo," the Queen said, returning in full force. "The Sith would have no reason to stay."

"Maybe not, but you escaping-" Sabe said slowly, surprised again when the Queen cut her off.

"I am well aware of the risks to my people, Sabe! I don't need to be reminded of them."

"Your Highness," Yane said softly, in her handmaiden voice, "you can't leave Naboo right now."

"What is stopping me?" Amidala said, even more imperiously than before.

"Your term is not up for five more months and you'll be needed for the preparations and transition time. The Queen is needed here." Rabe told her, her eyes daring the Monarch to deny it. For a long moment Amidala looked at her handmaiden. No one moved.

"Tell the Jedi I wish to see them," the Queen told Sache.

Jayden and Anakin looked up as one of the handmaidens exited the room. She didn't close the door behind her, catching their full attention.

"The Queen requests your presence," she said quietly. They followed her.

The first thing they noticed was the tension in the air. Whatever had been said behind the closed door had not gone over well. They stood at respect in front of the Queen and waited for her to speak.

"What is it you wish of me?" Amidala asked. "Keep in mind I won't risk my people." Both men relaxed fractionally. The Queen was accepting their help.

"There is a plan, Your Highness. First, you are accompanied by one of us at all times. Second," here Anakin winced slightly as he spoke, "Panaka's security measures stay in place." The Queen raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The handmaidens looked slightly relieved. "Third, you do exactly what you were doing before the attack."

"You want the Queen to make herself a target?" Sabe asked slowly, keeping her face and voice carefully blank. Anakin nodded.

"We are trying to buy some time," he said. "We are catching up on what the Sith are doing. The Queen is a target we have identified, a target that we can protect."

Jayden spoke up, relieving Anakin. "The Sith made their first move in four thousand years here, twelve years ago. They would not be coming after you without good reason and they aren't going to move on until you're taken care of." Jayden ignored the handmaiden's expressions although he understood how they felt. "We can tie them up here, now."

The Queen nodded slowly. "Interesting. For now, consider your plan approved. I'd suggest a consultation with Panaka in the morning." And with that they were dismissed. The Jedi bowed.

"I'll wait for you outside," Anakin said. Then they left.

"Dane, when will you be fit for duty?" they Queen asked. The young woman shrugged, then winced in reaction to the pain caused by the movement.

"She'll be released tomorrow and can resume duties day after that." Yane said. They chuckled at Dane's face; she hated the hospital and she hated lying around with nothing to do. Amidala did not laugh.

"And Eirtae? When will she be returning?" she asked, still looking at Yane. Yane looked confused. How would she know that?

"The doctor said tomorrow," Eirtae said, frowning at her employer. The Queen was acting odd.

"Very well," Amidala said, waving for the handmaidens to stand, "I'll see you then." And with that she left, collecting Anakin without a word and returning to work. Jayden watched them of confusion before turning to the remaining handmaidens. They weren't much help, however, as they were too loyal to the Queen to betray her. Eirtae shut the door.

"What the hell was that?" Dane asked as soon as the door clicked.

"I have no idea, but if she doesn't loosen up this could get ugly," Eirtae replied. She looked critically at Dane, who got annoyed. She was stiff, tired and bone deep hurting but Dane had her pride and refused to let it show. She didn't want anyone to worry about her.

"Do you need anything?" Eirtae asked her. Dane smiled. She should have known Eirtae wouldn't bring up Dane's condition.

"Could you have tomorrow's outfit sent here in the morning? I'm making a break for it." Eirtae laughed at her friend's desperation but readily agreed to the request.

"How about you? Do you need anything?" Dane asked Eirtae. Eirtae opened her mouth, stopped, frowned, and sobered up. "No, nothing you have," she said quietly. Now Dane frowned.

"Eirtae, is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Don't worry about me. I'm just tired."

"Then go to bed," Dane ordered. "I'll be fine."

"I think I'll do that. Good night."

"Day. It's day, Eirtae."

"Shut up." And with that Eirtae left. Dane curled up carefully in the bed and fell quickly asleep.

As Eirtae exited the hospital room she noticed with some surprise that one of the Jedi, Darklighter she thought, was still standing just outside the door. He looked up from a datapad and smiled briefly at her.

"Is she asleep?" he asked politely. Eirtae raised an eyebrow in the shadow of her hood.

"She will be in just a minute. Now would not be a good time for a visitor, Jedi Darklighter." And with that, enjoying the look of surprise on his face as she stumped him, she left for bed.

Jayden leaned back against the wall slowly. He hadn't realized that was what he'd been planning to do. He wanted to apologize, though he still wasn't sure what he'd done exactly. Reaching out with the Force, he felt through the room to Dane. She was fast asleep, the aches of her body gone from her mind. He could feel her body's fatigue even through her sleep.

Taking himself firmly in hand, he left, throwing himself into his next task.

That night, dreams plagued many of the handmaidens. Eirtae didn't remember the dream once she jerked herself awake, tears streaming down her face, but she couldn't stop shaking for a long time. Dane struggled through several vivid though confused dreams before falling into a deep sleep toward dawn. Sabe and Rabe tossed and turned all night and the rest of the handmaidens managed only a few hours of sleep each.

Even the Jedi had trouble that night. Anakin slept lightly, jerking awake several times during his sleep shift because of disturbing flashes of dreams he couldn't quite catch. Jayden chose to spend his sleep shift in meditation. Several visions appeared to him but they came and went too fast for him to understand or comprehend them. He woke the next morning refreshed physically but troubled.

**A/N: rm-like we said, long. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW OR MY KITTY OF DEATH SHALL SLAY YOU!**

**(sister): knock it off or they'll run. On second thought, run. She won't get therapy for her aggression issues. Run very, very fast. AHHHHHHH!**

**rm- MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!FEAR MY INSANITY!**


	4. Author Note

**A/N:** ok so here's the deal. There is a lot of different things that we are doing recently, so there's isn't much time to write. So now it was decided that Intriguing Possibilities will be put on hiatus for a while. I don't know how long but it will be for a bit, plus we haven't updated in quite some time anyways it shouldn't be that different. We will try to get back to it soon but I don't know when that will be. Sorry, we'll keep trying.


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